Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me this e-arc!!!

Ever since I reviewed 'The Spellshop' as an e-arc, I have been eager to see what Sarah Beth Durst produces next. This whimsical read set in a magical B&B was very nice to read. I love the genre of having magical houses, and the fact that this inn had portals built directly into it- wow.

My one criticism is that the pacing in this book felt very unlike Sarah's usual style. It felt a bit choppy and some of the storytelling lacked a little depth. The book also started off a little slowly, and it took me a while to orient myself.

I wish the book had gone more in-depth about the various worlds as well as the characters themselves. However, the slice that we are introduced to does not disappoint.

This book has very cozy vines to it and I hope there is a part 2!

This was an amazing ya book! It is the perfect combination of romance and hints of fantasy! A must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC of The Faraway Inn!
4.5 / 5 ⭐
Howl’s Moving Castle meets Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast in The Faraway Inn. This is my first book by Durst, author of The Spellshop, and I’m so glad I requested the ARC. While it read a little younger than I expected (and I saw most of the plot twists in advance - although that’s not really a problem for such a cozy read), I found it incredibly enjoyable.

“A place like this inn is what you allow it to be. It’s a deep breath, but you are still the one who must breathe deeply.”

This book was a beautiful mix of Durst’s previous books and the TJ Klune book House in the cerulean Sea. The story was cozy with the right hint of lighthearted, a touch of humor and bits of mystery sprinkled. It’s the perfect spell for a quick light read. Though pacing was off a bit for me at times I really enjoyed this cute distraction. Only missed the magical teapot and cake.

Sarah Beth Durst is such a a gem and her books are always a good time. The Faraway Inn is the first that I've personally read of hers that fits into the YA genre but I loved it. I initially had a concern with it being set in modern day Vermont, the cheating ex boyfriend and handsome groundskeeper. It all just felt a bit formulaic to me but the introduction of eccentric, interesting characters and world building quickly overtook my initial hesitations. The second half is where The Faraway Inn shines. Every character and location is interesting with tidbits of backstory sprinkled throughout. There is mystery, adventure and Durst did a great job of channeling our 16 year old main character Calisa.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC

I really enjoyed this as a young adult fantasy novel, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel of the fantasy element that I was wanting from this type of world. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed getting into this world well. Sarah Beth Durst was able to weave a strong storyline and enjoyed the overall concept.

Calisa is 16 and broken hearted after she learns of her lying ex. She leaves for the summer to help her great-aunt at her bed and breakfast in Vermont. Once arriving at her aunt's, she discovers that not only it is not well-maintained or visited, but that her aunt did not actually invite her, nor does she want her help. Calisa is determined to help in some way, so she pulls in the groundskeeper's son, Jack, and along the way notices that there is something a bit different about the inn - and that it is keeping a secret that Calisa must unravel.

The setting that the author created is one of the best instances I have read of an author making the location a character; I loved every moment of being at the inn. The characters were also greatly written, with a nice array of different and diverse people that I could have gotten lost in all day. This author has become an auto-read for me for the ability to create magic within the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books/Delacorte Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a whimsical and charming read. I loved the cozy inn setting mixed with just the right amount of magic, and it gave the whole story a fairytale-like vibe. The characters were warm and fun to follow, and the writing had that easy flow that makes the pages fly by. Some parts felt a little predictable, but it honestly just added to the comfort-read feel. If you’re into magical escapes with heart and charm, this one is definitely worth picking up.

THE FARAWAY INN was a cute whimsical book that just captured me. I enjoyed the story line and the characters more than I thought I would had loved reading it. The cover is adorable and really captures the vibes of the book. If you are looking for a whimsical fall read then this might just be for you! 3.75 stars

This is such a cute book! Exactly what I needed. It's so heartwarming and cozy and feels like a warm spring day. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

AGHHHHH What in the magical, cozy cottage core, Doctor Who, Howl's Moving Castle with Sarah Beth Durst's personal magic is the perfection of The Faraway Inn!? This book has amazing magic. Great characters. A cool story that I didn't want to stop reading about. I didn't want to put it down. Magical realms that I wanted to learn more about. I was a bit concerned it might be too young for me. MC being 16 . I thought I picked a book that would be too young, and while Calisa was young she was a great character. I enjoyed the story through her eyes and her 16-year-old heart. She was resourceful, brave, and smart.

Loved this one!



After a devastating heartbreak, a teen girl decides to spend her summer helping her eccentric great aunt manage her quaint Vermont inn—but the fixer-upper is hiding a magical secret—in this cozy and irresistable new YA fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop.

This stunning first edition of The Faraway Inn will feature special designed edges!

When sixteen-year-old Calisa arrives at her great-aunt’s B&B in rural Vermont for the summer, she’s shocked to find a rundown inn rather than the cozy bed-and-breakfast she was expecting. Grumpy and eccentric, Auntie Zee is determined to keep anyone from messing with her beloved inn . . . even though she clearly needs the help.

To convince her great-aunt to keep her around, Calisa sets to work fixing up the inn, enlisting extra help from the groundskeeper’s (handsome) son. But the longer she stays, the surer she is that there’s something strange about the B&B—and its guests. Something almost . . . otherworldly.

The inn is hiding a magical secret—but secrets are like doors. Once Calisa opens this one, she won’t be able to go back . . .

I really like this author's adult book Spellshop, and this YA still had a sense of the writing style/cozy magic I liked in this too. This was a very charming read! It's fascinating the sort of portal ability and how the cat was related. There's also a cute romance too.

I love, love, loved this book! The plot locked me in from page one, and spit me out a new person on the last page. The characters became real to me and will live in my brain forever. The setting was tangible and perfect. The pacing was riveting, but not rushed. All coming together to be a book I can't wait to recommend to my friends. Perfect as always.

I just adore Sarah Beth Durst's writing. I've read her two adult novels in the "The Spellshop" companion series but had not tried one of her YA books prior to reading The Faraway Inn. Well, like I had hoped, she has great continuity of whimsy and enchanting prose between both her adult and YA novels.

The Faraway Inn is a lovely tale about a girl who’s escaped the city to spend the summer with her great aunt at her cozy inn nestled deep within the woods of Vermont. Things don’t necessarily go to plan as her great aunt, Auntie Zee absolutely does not want our FMC, Calisa, anywhere near the cozy B&B. Determined to stick around and help out, Calisa tries to help out around the house. However, as the days pass, things seem to get stranger and stranger. Looking for answers, Calisa enlists the help of the groundskeeper’s son, Jack, to help her uncover what’s really going on at the Inn.

I have been so impressed with Sarah Beth Durst’s ability to make cozy fantasies still very engaging. Oftentimes they can be hit or miss due to the lower stakes compared to a normal fantasy. I don’t personally love a plot that meanders too much.

I really appreciated both halves of The Faraway Inn for different reasons. The first half was super cozy and charming. A much more mundane plot with daily tasks at the Inn, all while trying to discover the truth of what’s really going on with the B&B and the guests. Then the second half turns into more of a moving adventure plot. It still had quite a cozy feel but we expanded beyond the Inn and got to explore some very unique places.

Since it was both a YA novel and a cozy fantasy, I tried not to over analyze some of the fantastical elements. While I expect more concrete world building from Adult Fantasy books, the whimsy of a cozy world needs less explaining in my eyes. I think Sarah Beth Durst did a great job at balancing good world-building while keeping it a bit simpler for it’s teen audience. It felt plenty robust to me for the type of novel it is.

Overall, Sarah Beth Durst has become an auto-TBR author for me. Her ideas, her execution, her prose, all really work for me. I can’t wait for her next Adult book, Sea of Charms, next summer (2026)! If you’ve enjoyed her recent adult cozy fantasies (The Spellshop & The Enchanted Greenhouse) and still enjoy YA novels, I highly recommend you pick up The Faraway Inn when it releases next April!

Note: the author must really love Spider plants because she is 3 for 3 (in books I’ve read of hers) for including them in her novels. I know she has spider plant earrings (as per a conversation I was lucky enough to have with her) so I guess it all makes sense

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for the opportunity to review The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst.

I never liked cozy fantasy. Or at least I thought I didn’t. The genre just didn’t appeal to me, but after two people I trust wholeheartedly with book recommendations demanded I read The Spellshop by this author, I relented. And after that I was mentally kicking myself for avoiding this genre for so long.

Like The Spellshop, The Faraway Inn is a magical tale of fantasy, whimsy, and enchantment. With just enough reality to root the reader into the story, this book transports you to a cozy little B&B in Vermont where not all is as it seems. When the FMC arrives at the start of summer expecting an escape from her troubles back home in NY, she finds herself unwanted and confused at the curious Inn.

As the story unfolds and characters are introduced you fall more and more in love with the world that Durst has created. These characters are tender and dear. Each one more interesting than the last, with quirky looks and even odder stories.

Durst doesn’t just write the story, she paints it. Through every scene she creates such vivid imagery that it felt like I was watching a play. With descriptions of not just visual sense but also touch, sound, taste, and even the smells I was transported to the Inn. I swear I could feel the richness of the hot chocolate as she described it and the smell of the pine and lavender that permeated the Inn.

This is one of those books you carry with you in your heart. It’s a book that you will think of often, with a smile on your face, as a sweet escape from reality that allows a bit of sunshine into your world for however long you allow it.

5/5

Thank You to Random House Children's Books for a the free Arc and being able to give my honest review on The Faraway Inn.

Sarah Beth Durst is in my top ten favorite authors to read for a cozy escape after reading The Enchanted Greenhouse. "The Faraway Inn" is a YA fantasy that combines a magical mystery, personal growth, and a sprinkle of romance.

Calisa was such a fun young main character. She is still high school and figuring out her life. She goes to her great-aunt's bed and breakfast hoping to heal her heart.

The mystery with the inn and what's going on there was fun to figure out and see. The things that happened with the guests and the magic that pops up that can't be explained was all great. The side characters to me made this book. I enjoyed each scene we got for each of them.

I did feel like the story got slow in the middle and it got me slightly uninterested but the story was a fun twist on a more modern day, current universe.

I will be continuing to look forward to Sarah Beth Durst releases and the cozy stories she writes.

New life goal unlocked.
Not only do I need a library with a rolling ladder, I need one with an Enchanted ladder and puppy like mannerisms.

Sarah Beth Durst's YA cozy fantasy is just as charming as her adult ones. Beautiful descriptions, magical characters and fascinating world building, cake and jam, plus a low stakes adventure combine for another warm hug of a book.

Mildly reminiscent of Tanya Huff's Keeper Chronicles and Ilona Andrews's Inkeeper Chronicles.

Definitely recommended.

Thank you Sarah Beth Durst for writing such cozy stories. The Faraway Inn, just like The Spellshop and the Enchanted Greenhouse, is a perfect getaway.

I need a Steve in my life.

I recommend The Faraway Inn to all readers!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC!

The way I screamed when I got the approval.

The book is amazing. it's cozy and you never know what's going to happen next!
If you're a fan of Sarah's other work, this one is right up there and you won't be disappointed!

I’ve always enjoyed Sarah Beth Durst’s books, and this one was no exception. From the start, it had that magical mix of charm and heart that kept me hooked. I’m usually hesitant about really young main characters, but this FMC struck a great balance—she felt youthful and fresh without being frustrating, and her logical way of thinking made her easy to root for. The story itself was fun and adventurous, but it also had these sweet, reflective moments that gave it more weight than I expected. I found myself smiling a lot while reading, and by the end, I didn’t want to put it down. If you’re in the mood for something light, heartwarming, and just a little thought-provoking, this book is a perfect choice.